A significant reshuffling of secondary school teachers is anticipated as schools prepare to enroll the first cohort of Senior School students in January.
A report from the Ministry of Education, titled ‘National Report: County-Based Dialogue on Education Quality and Learning Outcomes in Competency-Based Education (CBE),’ outlines plans for transitioning from Junior School to Senior Secondary and suggests redistributing teachers to alleviate shortages.
The proposal recommends reallocating teachers according to the specific pathways that schools will offer, which could result in thousands of teachers being transferred across different counties and regions.
The report highlights that schools are facing critical shortages, especially in technical and vocational education subjects. It particularly points out a lack of teachers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), raising concerns about the quality of teaching and learning in Senior School.
“Stakeholders have expressed worries about the lack of teachers in various subject areas, especially in specialized fields like Music within Creative Arts, Special Needs Education (SNE), and Pre-Technical Studies,” the report indicates.
If this plan is put into action, it could lead to significant controversy, as the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) prepares to enforce these changes. Previous mass teacher transfers have often resulted in backlash from teachers’ unions and school communities.
In 2018, the TSC faced widespread protests after implementing a delocalization policy that moved teachers away from their home counties under the guise of promoting national integration. Many teachers reported issues such as family separation, psychological stress, financial difficulties, and challenges in adapting to new cultural settings.
At that time, the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) criticized the government for proceeding with the transfers without sufficient consultation, labeling the initiative as punitive rather than constructive. “We want family considerations to be prioritized, and we also request that affected teachers be relocated within their local areas,” Nthurima stated to the press.